Photo By Kimberly Menzies | U.S. Army Pfc. Brandon Besser, a battle systems operator with 94th Army Air and...... read more read more
Story by Sgt. Kimberly K. Menzies, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEAR HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii-Six Soldiers participated in the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command’s 2015 Sea Dragon Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year Competition, May 4-8, 2015.
The weeklong competition tested the participants on various level I and level II basic Soldiers skills such as medical tasks, night/day land navigation, team building, and M16 rifle qualification range.
“The Sea Dragon Noncommissioned Officer and Soldier of the Year Competition is an event held amongst the Soldiers and junior NCOs of the 94th AAMDC,” said Sergeant Maj. Mario Guerrero, an operations sergeant major with 94th AAMDC. “It includes physical training, land navigation, a board appearance and a number of many other Soldier tasks. The participants compete against each other to become the best of the best. The Top NCO and Soldier are then nominated by the command sergeant major to represent the 94th AAMDC during the week long U. S. Army Pacific Best Warrior Competition held June 8-12.”
“This competition feeds directly into the USARPAC Best Warrior Competition,” shares Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Kordish, the operations platoon sergeant with 94th AAMDC and assistant planner for the competition. “This helps instill the confidence they need to apply everything they know, from physical appearance and training to different Soldier tasks. Having them compete against their peers prepares them to compete and represent the 94th AAMDC.”
The final, and for some the most difficult, portion of the competition was a traditional question and answer board.
“The board was the most difficult element because I had not been to one yet and attending a board with all the sergeants major was pretty intimidating,” said Pfc. Brandon Besser, a battle systems operator with 94th AAMDC from Redding, Calif. “For my first board, I can say I wasn’t that nervous and it was a good confidence builder for my next boards that are to come.”
“The board is always hard to prepare for because there is always so much you could study on; so many different topics that can be covered,” shared Sgt. Robert Kibler, a sensor manager with 14th Missile Defense Battery, 94th AAMDC.
Upon completion of the competition, Kibler and Besser were nominated by Command Sgt. Maj. Finis A. Dodson, the command sergeant major of the 94th AAMDC, to represent the 94th AAMDC during USARPAC’s Best Warrior Competition.
“For Soldiers that are interested in competing, I would tell them to go for it, because it is worth it,” said Kibler. “Even if you don’t win, it will help make you a better Soldier and leader. The more you push yourself to compete you are going to learn new things, you are going to see harder tasks that you don’t get a chance to accomplish on a daily basis. So a competition like this will provide an opportunity to help you make sure you are at your best.”
Leaders within the unit also view this competition as a continuation of U.S. Army tradition for future generations of Soldiers.
“Each year, as more and more of the members of the Armed Forces exit the military due to various reasons, each time, we lose valuable skill knowledge and tradition,” said Kordish. “Creating competitions like this keeps the military moving forward while allowing them to learn about why they are doing it. Next year, those same participants can speak about the competition and motivate people to want to participate and win rather than not compete.”
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.14.2015 03:37 |
| Story ID: | 163269 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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